[pct-l] How to support your hiking addiction

[Reinhold Metzger]

Sasha,
You have received very good advice so far.
Long distance backpacking is a difficult hobby to support.
There are 3 other ways that have not yet been brought to your attention.

1. The Andy Skurka  way.....Andy became famous overnight after hiking 
the 7,778 mile Sea to Sea Route in        2004 - 2005 shortly after 
graduating from Duke University and has been successful making 
backpacking his occupation through speeches, lectures, sponsors, 
endorsements and guided wilderness tours.

2. The Marine Corps  way....You could enlist in the U. S. Marine Corps, 
wind up a "Grunt" in the infantry where backpacking is a way of life and 
get paid for pursuing your hobby backpacking......LORD  I  SHOULD HAVE 
STAYED  IN   THE  MARINE  CORPS!!!

3. The Zsa Zsa Garbor way....Zsa Zsa was very good in choosing husbands 
(she had nine) that were able to give her the financial support and 
freedom to pursue any hobby or life style she chose.
Seems to me I read somewhere that Zsa Zsa always examined the financial 
statements before saying "I  DO".

On a more serious note, you might consider a career in Real Estate which 
would give you more flexibility in taking time off for backpacking....it 
has worked for me.
Or you could do like Ned and become a builder of spec homes.....build 
one, take a year off....build another, take another year off...etc., etc.,

JMT Reinhold
The career consultant
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Sasha wrote:
Hi, I'm a college student who, in the past few years, has gotten very 
interested in long distance backpacking. I've been on the list for a 
while and have heard from a lot of very experienced backpackers. Reading 
their posts, I was wondering, how you have implemented the backpacking 
world into "real life". Is it more common for people to take the Yogi 
path and sort of haphazardly get into backpacking while maintaining an 
unrelated job back at home or do most take the Ned path and get into 
backpacking by falling in love with it through their job? Working for my 
school's outdoor organization, I've guided a number of backpacking 
trips. As man of our school's guides graduate though, they move on to 
careers in different areas. How can long distance backpacking be 
sustainable as a career path? What ways do people mix their passion with 
profession?

Sasha Leidman